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Charter Communications misses profit estimates as broadband losses bite

Reuters
Updated ·2-min read

(Reuters) -Charter Communications posted larger-than-expected broadband subscriber losses and missed estimates for first-quarter profit on Friday.

The broadband and cable TV provider has been facing stiff competition from Comcast and AT&T, as well as struggling with slowing growth in the broadband market.

Charter lost 72,000 internet customers in the first quarter, compared with estimates of a loss of 56,940 internet customers, according to Visible Alpha. It had added 76,000 in the same period a year earlier.

Shares of the company were down 1.4% in early trading.

The coming quarters could be "rocky" for Charter with the end of the government broadband internet subsidy program Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), brokerage Morningstar said last month.

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The subsidy program, which had helped Charter attract customers in the past, is running out of money and is expected to end in May.

"An ACP renewal now appears unlikely for the program's 23 million recipients nationwide and for our 5 million internet customers receiving a subsidy," said finance chief Jessica Fisher in a post earnings call, adding that Charter will continue to face "short-term customer growth headwinds."

The company's free cash flow in the first quarter stood at $358 million, compared with estimates of $519.3 million, hurt by higher spending related to its network expansion plans.

Charter posted a profit of $7.55 per share, missing estimates of $7.92, according to LSEG data.

It reported revenue of $13.68 billion, in line with estimates, even as video revenue fell 8%, with Charter losing 405,000 video subscribers during the quarter, compared with 241,000 losses in the prior year.

Rival Comcast reported a loss of 65,000 broadband customers between January and March and said on Thursday that broadband losses would continue after it shed more customers than expected in the first quarter.

(Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta and Shinjini Ganguli)